Pocosin Lakes NWR
was established to provide habitat for migratory waterfowl and other
birds, to protect and enhance a unique type of wetlands called pocosin,
to protect and enhance habitat for those species which are classified
as endangered, threatened, or of special concern, and to provide
opportunities for wildlife-oriented interpretation, outdoor recreation
and environmental education.
Pocosin
is an Algonquian Indian
word
meaning "swamp on a hill." Though there are no
obvious hills, the land is slightly elevated compared to the
surrounding landscape. Pocosin wetlands are extremely flat, and their
natural drainage is poor. The top layer of soil is comprised mostly of
organic material, more commonly referred to as peat, varying in
thickness throughout the refuge. The pocosin habitat is a unique
fire-adapted ecosystem consisting of a dense shrub understory, a pond
pine overstory and grows on organic soils with depths up to 12 feet.
More than 300
different species depend on the refuge habitat. There is a diverse
range of fish and wildlife that inhabit the refuge. Everything from
fish, to amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds all make the refuge
their home throughout the various seasons. The refuge provides a
winter sanctuary for migratory waterfowl, and a year-round home for
the endangered red wolf and the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker,
and one of the largest populations of American black bears in North
America.
http://www.fws.gov/pocosinlakes/management.html
http://www.fws.gov/southeast/pubs/pocwild.pdf
What
are we doing for endangered species?
In 1973, Congress passed the
Endangered Species Act. The purposes of this Act are to conserve the
ecosystems upon which endangered and threatened species depend and to
provide programs to protect such species. According to the Act, endangered
and threatened species are of aesthetic, ecological, educational,
historical, recreational, and scientific value to the Nation and its
people. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is instrumental in providing
protection and recovery efforts for endangered and threatened species. Two
endangered species found on Pocosin Lakes NWR are the red wolf and the
red-cockaded woodpecker.
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Red
Wolf
The red wolf (Canis
rufus)
once roamed throughout the southeastern United
States but now is one of
the most endangered animals in the world.
Today, the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula in northeastern
North Carolina is the only mainland site in the world
for the wild red wolf population.
By
the 1970s red wolves existed only along the Gulf Coast
of southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana. The
few remaining red wolves were captured by FWS
biologists and brought to captive-breeding facilities.
In 1980, the red wolf was
officially declared extinct in the wild, with only a
small number of red wolves remaining in captivity.
Reintroduction of
captive-born red wolves in the Alligator River NWR
began in 1987 and then later in Pocosin Lakes NWR.
This being the first-ever restoration of an officially
extinct species back into the wild. The
recovery program has been a success with over 130 red
wolves now living on the peninsula.
http://www.fws.gov/southeast/pubs/alwolf.pdf
http://www.fws.gov/southeast/5yearReviews/5yearreviews/RedWolf-5YrR.pdf
http://www.fws.gov/redwolf/
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Red-cockaded woodpecker
The red-cockaded woodpecker makes
its home in mature pine forests. Long- leaf pines (Pinus
palustris) are most commonly preferred, but other species of
southern pine are also acceptable. While other woodpeckers bore
out cavities in dead trees where the wood is rotten and soft,
the red-cockaded woodpecker is the only one which excavates
cavities exclusively in living pine trees. Cavities generally
take from 1 to 3 years to excavate. The red-cockaded woodpecker
plays a vital role in the intricate web of life of the southern
pine forests. Refuge management for this woodpecker includes
protecting nest trees, inventory of the population and providing
mature trees for future nests. |
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Water
Management
Water control is a key
tool for managing the pocosin habitat and other
habitats used by migratory birds and waterfowl.
Lakes, marshes, moist soil areas, and open water
provide a resting area as well as a feeding area for
waterfowl. Diving ducks, such as the canvasback can
feed in deep waters. Dabbing ducks, such as the wood
duck can only feed in 12 inches (or less) of water.
Another important aspect of water management on the
refuge is the prevention of flooding of adjacent
private lands and habitats.
The refuge staff manages
its resources through protection of lands from
wildfires, water management, cooperative farming,
law enforcement, restoration of native habitat,
removal of invasive species, public hunting,
environmental education/interpretation, and
partnerships with other agencies.
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